HC notice to Maha Govt for extending MLA Fund

The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Thursday served a notice to the state government for extending the MLA Fund till the end of the current financial year for the existing legislators, whose term would be expired by October this year.

The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Thursday served a notice to the state government for extending the MLA Fund till the end of the current financial year for the existing legislators, whose term would be expired by October this year.

Responding to public interest litigation (PIL) on the issue, a division bench of the Court, comprising Justice AP Lawande and Justice PD Kode, asked the government to reply on the issue within the next two weeks.

While filing a writ petition, Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti, pointed out that the state government in its recent resolution directed that the entire amount of the MLA Local Development Funds should be spent before the expiry of the terms of existing MLAs.

“This has been done contrary to the general practice being adopted by all State Governments and Central Government to allow only proportionate quantum of Local Area Development Funds to MLAs/MPs, considering the balance tenure in the respective Financial Year, especially when the legislature / parliament term is ending mid of the Financial Year. As such the GR issued is bad in the eyes of law because it is causing direct loss to the state treasury,” the petitioner said.

The government had issued the GR in this regard just to favour the existing MLAs whose tenure would expire six months’ before the completion of the current financial year. Tiwari urged the court to direct the state government for withdrawing the GR immediately and save the public money that is being “misused” for political reasons.